Safety on the range with a child?

[Paladin]

I don't personally own any guns, but I have gone shooting a few times with friends. On the Easter weekend we'll be visiting family, one of them has a farm and is a hunter. I figure we might do some target shooting.

My boy is 5 years old, and he'd probably want to come along. Is this too young? I don't think my brother in law has any small enough for him to shoot. So, just to watch.

If it is safe for him to come, what is a good way to handle it? Obviously ear protection. Any other pointers?

 

[obscurotron]

I took my daughter to the range at 2 1/2 to watch me shoot a rimfire fun match last year. Ear protection and eye protection are non-negotiable in my book. Also, a responsible adult, not an older kid/sibling, should maintain physical contact or immediate proximity (i.e. in the face type of closeness) at all times. Kids are apt to up and start running for whatever reason crosses their little minds.

While I shot, my wife held our girl or held her hand at all times, even during ceasefire walks downrange. When she finally tired of wearing the "earmuffs", the wife and kid went off-range over to a local park while I finished the match.

Part of it also comes down to the maturity and communication levels of the kid. Common sense and close supervision should do the job.

 

[BIGdaddy]

You're obviously a good dad for asking the question here on the board. Let's get that out there first...

ear protection...
supervision by a non-shooter when the range is hot.
reinforcement of firearm safety rules
make it fun
be ok if he's a bit spooked.
Maybe try to procure/borrow a rimfire or BB gun for him to try, "just like daddy"?

Cheers, bro. Have fun!

 

[kjp1969]

My boy is 5 years old, and he'd probably want to come along. Is this too young? I don't think my brother in law has any small enough for him to shoot. So, just to watch.

If it is safe for him to come, what is a good way to handle it? Obviously ear protection. Any other pointers?

It depends entirely on the personality of your boy and not his age- will he follow instructions? Can he "get serious" in a range environment? In short, can you trust him at this age to follow range and safety rules?

 

[K2ZJ]

All of the above, plus some. When I took our daughter to the range just after her 4th birthday, I kept her back from the range at the beginning so she was not right near some of the bigger guns going off near her to scare her. We slowly worked our way closer so she was more comfortable while we were at the line. Then she shot a 22 rifle. LOVED IT! Again, I was right next to her the whole time and she stayed near an adult while near the line. She can't wait for her own pink gun.

 

[Paladin]

Ok, good stuff guys.

My boy is a little bit different... so I never know how he will react to any new situation. He might walk away after the first shot. I would like to try to teach him the safety aspects, but also have to be careful not to spook him, because he does spook sometimes. A couple weeks ago he didn't want to go play outside because of all the "bad guys". We try to find the balance.

A big part of this is also to acclimatize him to it so that he doesn't turn out to be a typical "guns=bad" Canadian (like I was). Actually, I also want to get my wife involved a little bit so we can work on that as well. I do want to get my license and a Marlin 1895 45-70 eventually.

The big take-away point for me is to have somebody physically with him. I had thought about that, and it would make me more comfortable. One of the biggest issues is I'm not super familiar with "range safety" as I'm new at this too.

My first time was with a range master in a police station. He was super good, and I was very comfortable. My second time was at a farm with some coworkers, and that was much more casual... I don't know what my brother-in-law will be like. Could turn out to be a short session if I'm not comfortable.

Thought about the BB gun thing myself. We'll see. I wasn't sure if he's like it, depending on if there's any kick. He's quite small, about 35 lbs.

 

[kjp1969]

The best advice that I've heard for taking a youngster out for his/her first shooting experience (where he/she is doing the shooting) is that you don't shoot. It's about them, not you, so plan on being a babysitter/chaperone/cheerleader. You never know if they will love it, hate it, or just want to collect rocks.

 

[Gaidheal]

Our son got his first firearm at age 3. It was a Chipmunk, 22 cal single shot.

All the protection gear mentioned, and the experience was designed to make it all about *him* shooting.

We also had a HARD rule: no fooling around at the range. Anything less than complete attention and the fun was over, we went home.

He loved it and we only went home early once. I still have the target he shot at the 1st day (and he was a better shot than some of the more experienced folks).

It's supposed to be fun, right? But it is also an incredible forum to teach responsibility.

:beer:

 

[Fireman78]

This is one of the best topics ever. My two girls love to shoot. :26_7_2:

 

[theicecreampeople]

cool topic ,my boy is 13 now and shoots his benneli 20ga/270 ..i would say get him a red ryder..bbgun ...let him/her join in shooting ,my boy had a 22 at that age but always right with him when he shot. also mabye because first time you may ask family to have one shooter at a time so there is not alot going on at one time ?make a line for not crossing ,always say going down range etc ..everyone kinda said it ...have fun ....

 

[Haggis]

The best advice that I've heard for taking a youngster out for his/her first shooting experience (where he/she is doing the shooting) is that you don't shoot. It's about them, not you, so plan on being a babysitter/chaperone/cheerleader.

Amen brother, that is a very true statement.

From my experience another thing to consider is the targets you select. Plain old paper targets get old real fast for young kids but they love reactive targets. Shoot-n-see targets so the kidlins can see where they shot without having to walk down range, resettable spinner targets, water or baby powder filled balloons and the good old aluminum can make fun targets to plink away at. I like to start a kid off on a good old fashion BB gun. Just a simple Red Ryder that they can easily cock themselves works great. All the "functions" are there (sights, safety and what not) without all the pop and bag. This gives a kid a chance to learn to sight and hold a gun correctly without the anxiety of even a .22s percussion. Start them off shooting from the bench until they gain some confidence. Once they show they can handle a gun well, then its time to move up to a Cricket .22 until they get enough reach to comfortably handle a larger gun. Shooting is all about confidence and I've seem more than one kid turned gun shy by dad's trying to show how butch their kid is by having them shoulder way more gun then the kid is comfortable with or can handle.

 

[stewwalker]

Teach him gun safety with a red ryder. They are quiet, don't kick, and most of the time a young one can't cock it when they first get a hold of it so you won't have to worry about him shooting with out an adult. I learned how to shoot with a red ryder when I was a kid and I haven't ben able to get away from the shooting sports since then.

 

[ssc45]

Paladin,
You have received some good advice. However in reading what you have said, there is a major problem, in my opinion. First, you are not experienced in range/shooting safety issues, according to your post. Second, your family member or bro-in-law is an unknown entity to you. This, to me is a recipe for disaster. Is he a safe person? Does he know gun safety? Just because he hunts, doesn't mean he knows anything. I have hunted with people who I will never be around again due to very unsafe gun handling--and this includes one guy who is a NRA certified instructor. I have had my children shooting since age 4. If anyone joined us while shooting, it was only close friends who I had spent time shooting or hunting with and were very safe. It is not always possible to have a second chance. And, no matter how safe people are, accidents can happen. Hence, we must limit our liability.

Third, you have mentioned your sons proclivity. Based on your statement, as has been suggested, I would get a BB gun ( and some type of reactive target)and work one on one with him. This means bonding and learning time together without others and without gunfire to distract you or your son. Even with the proper protection gear, having certain rifles or pistols discharging in the same general vicinity, can cause one to jump, flinch and just feel unconfortable. Stay away from guns with comps. This may have a long term negative affect on your son.

Therefore, I would have a descreet conversation with your bro in law and only you can judge his demeanor. If you go, then devote yourself to being with your son and not to you shooting.

My suggestion is for you to get some experience and training first, so you can feel comfortable around guns and safety issues. Then introduce your son to shooting as stated and then move to rimfire's.

Good luck, Steve

 

[Paladin]

Steve, I understand what you are saying, in fact I was waiting for somebody to say it. I will feel it out when I get there, and if I'm not comfortable, I'll cut it short. While I haven't shot with the person in question, I do know he's a very responsible guy, and family is the most important thing in his life. So I expect that will be reflected in how he behaves with guns. If not, then I'll just end it.

 

[Paladin]

Well, that didn't work out to plan. We brought the guns out, and I called Phil over and we talked about guns and how they aren't toys, and if you ever see a real gun you don't touch it, but to call an adult, etc. I could tell he was probably shying towards it. I asked if he wanted to come, and he said no, he just wanted to stay and play with his toys. OK.

So we went and shot a bit, well, mostly me. My BIL was pretty good instructing and brought a range of weapons. I used the .22 with short and long rifle cartridges which is what he had intended Phil would be able to shoot, and I agreed, very tame. I shot the 870 and a 30-06 a couple times, but my favorite for just target shooting was his Remington 700 in .223. Fired like a real gun but doesn't beat you up.

When we came back, I called Phil over "Can you hold this gun while I untie my boots?" Shook his head no. Not sure if I scared him too much. I told him he passed the test, he was confused at first but then was happy.